Digging into the dirt of a city center in the Netherlands, archaeologists hoped to find something, but what reemerged surprised them. The finds were older -- and more detailed -- than they expected.

Archaeologists recently started excavating a square in downtown Heerlen, "an important site for Roman settlement" because of its vicinity to a key road intersection, the Municipality of Heerlen said in a Nov. 28 news release.

As they dug, the team uncovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman tomb. Photos shared by the city on Facebook show what remains of the grave.

The tomb contained "personal items and earthenware dishes," including a personalized bowl with a nickname written on it: FLAC, officials said in a Dec. 4 news release. Based on the finds, archaeologists concluded the deceased was a "Roman soldier named Flaccus."

Archaeologists generally have a difficult time identifying non-elite ancient people by name, making Flaccus's grave a surprising discovery.

A photo shows the simple but well-preserved artifacts found in the grave. The pottery originally came from Italy, archaeologists said.

"The find is the oldest evidence of Roman habitation at this site," officials said.

"Today, evidence was found of Roman habitation in the time of Emperor Augustus," Jordy Clemen, the city's culture and heritage councilmember, said in the release. "(It's) a unique discovery that not only teaches us more about our past, but also shows how unique the story of Roman Heerlen is for the Netherlands."

Excavations in downtown Heerlen are ongoing.

Heerlen is a city in the southern Netherlands, a roughly 130-mile drive southeast of Amsterdam and near the borders with Belgium and Germany.